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St. Mary's Seminary & University

Accreditation & Educational Effectiveness (EI)

Accreditation

St. Mary’s Seminary and University:

Accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, with the following degree programs approved:
Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, Doctor of Ministry. Delivery system approved: Distance Education.

The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
The Commission on Accreditation
10 Summit Park Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1110
412-788-6505

If you wish to make a complaint to the above Accreditor please use the above contact information.

St. Mary’s Seminary & University is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). St. Mary’s Seminary & University’s accreditation status is Non-Compliance Warning. The Commission’s most recent action on the institution’s accreditation status on June 23, 2022 was to warn the institution.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
1007 North Orange Street
4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
https://www.msche.org/

If you wish to make a complaint to the above Accreditor please use the above contact information.

EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Mission Driven Outcomes Assessment:

St. Mary’s Seminary & University is committed to institution-wide outcomes assessment in order that the Institution may facilitate and support the “Educational Effectiveness” of St. Mary’s degree programs in service to its mission:

America’s first Catholic seminary, St. Mary’s Seminary & University continues its tradition of excellence since 1791 in preparing candidates for the Roman Catholic diocesan priesthood. Adhering to the Sulpician Tradition of priestly formation, taking place within a single community of formators and seminarians sharing one rule of life with strong mentoring relationships, we facilitate personal integration of the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions necessary for authentic priestly witness and service in the image of Jesus Christ.

Through its Center for Continuing Formation and Ecumenical Institute, St. Mary’s also provides for advanced theological study, the ongoing formation of those in ministry, and a center of preparation for missionary discipleship.

Educational assessment takes place on a yearly basis through the guidance and under the direction of the Faculty Council, the Faculty Assessment Committee, and the Dean of the School of Theology and the Assessment Committee, the Faculty, and the Dean and Associate Dean of the Ecumenical Institute. Direct and indirect methods of assessment and appropriate measurement instruments have been developed, refined, and continually evaluated to assist in assessing student learning outcomes linked to specific goals and designated standards. Ongoing assessment of coursework, syllabi, and faculty; peer and faculty reviews; field education supervision evaluations; comprehensive exams, theses, final colloquium papers, or capstone project evaluations; exit and alumni interviews; as well as programmatic reviews, mark some of the methods utilized in assessing St. Mary’s educational effectiveness.

Beyond this serious commitment to assessing student learning outcomes is the commitment of the Institution and its divisions to ongoing assessment of its governance, leadership, personnel, resources, internal and external operations and services as a means to fulfill its mission and to resource its educational effectiveness.

Statement of Educational Effectiveness: 

1) School of Theology, 2020-2021:

Completion Rate:

  • Ten of the twelve students admitted into the Master of Divinity in 2016-17 graduated within a six year period for a completion rate of 83.33%. Of these students, three finished in four years, five in five years, and two in six years.

Graduation and Placement Information:

  • The 2021-22 graduates of the Master of Divinity program completed their degrees with an average CGPA of 3.64.
  • 100 % of the 2021-22 Master of Divinity graduates were given assignments in ministry or sent for further study by their sponsoring diocese or religious community.

Comprehensive Examination Assessment for 2020-2021:

  • The Comprehensive Examination is required for all potential graduating seminarians.
  • 100% of eligible candidates passed the comprehensive examinations with an average score of 89.06%. 
  • The average for the written portion of the exam was 89.51%.
  • The average for the oral portion of the exam was 88.62%.

2022 Exit Survey:
The results of the 31 question Exit Survey of Master of Divinity graduates were grouped into the Four Dimensions of Priestly Formation.

Questions used a 5 point scale:
1-minimally successful  2-somewhat successful  3-successful  4-very successful  5-fully successful

Spiritual 4.08
Human 4.06
Intellectual 4.14
Pastoral 4.04

2) Ecumenical Institute, 2020-2021:

100% of Students were part-time and finished their degrees:

Overall: 5.15 years
Master of Arts in Theology (MAT): 5.08 years
Master of Arts in Christian Ministries (MACM): 5.21 years

MAT Completion Rate:
7 of the 11 Students admitted to the MAT in 2016-2017 graduated within a six-year period for completion rate of 68.6%; 2 of the 11 are continuing study in the MAT program (18.2%).

MACM Completion Rate:
6 of the 8 students admitted to the MACM in 2016-2017 graduated within a six-year period for a completion rate of 75% completion rate; 2 of the 8 are continuing study in the MACM program (25%).

Exit Interviews:
Ecumenical Institute
On a scale of 1-7  (1 = not at all and 7 = completely), students felt program goals were met as follows:

  • Master of Arts in Theology: Mean rating 6.81 out of 7 on the above Likert scale
  • Master of Arts in Christian Ministries: 6.57 out of 7 on the above Likert scale